Children growing up in adversity are well known to be at risk of educational failure. Recent advances in neuroscience indicate that the nature of the caregiving environment in the first weeks and months of life influences the neural architecture of the developing brain, via epigenetic processes. Neglectful caregiving is hypothesised to contribute to later difficulties in self-regulation and an atypical stress response. Self-regulation is a key factor underpinning school readiness and the ability to engage successfully with learning experiences in a social classroom. This article describes research in school, which aimed to test this theory by exploring the self-regulation skills of six children known to have experienced neglect during their first year of life.